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What is sexual harassment, how to prevent it and how to report it?

2021-08-16T15:56:50.735Z


Many people experience sexual harassment in different areas of their lives. Here, a guide to prevent, detect and report it


The details of the sexual harassment complaint against Cuomo 5:17

(CNN Spanish) -

The complaints of sexual harassment against former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, which led to his resignation, once again put a problem that affects many women on the agenda.

Millions of women are victims of sexual harassment around the world in different areas of their lives.

Cuomo has repeatedly rejected the allegations.

UN Women considers harassment to be “any inappropriate and unwelcome conduct that could reasonably be perceived as an offense or humiliation to another person”.

Meanwhile, “sexual harassment is any unwanted sexual innuendo, request for sexual favor, verbal or physical conduct or gesture of a sexual nature, or any other conduct of a sexual nature that can reasonably be expected or perceived to cause offense or humiliation. to another, when such conduct interferes with work, becomes a condition for employment or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment, ”according to the UN. "While it generally involves a pattern of behavior, it can take the form of a single incident," he details.

In these definitions there is a key phrase: unwanted.

"Unwanted does not mean 'involuntary.'

A victim can consent or agree to and actively participate in certain conduct, even if it is offensive and objectionable.

Therefore, sexual conduct is not welcome as long as the person subjected to it considers it unwanted ", highlights a document from the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC, for its acronym in English) .

Carmen Jara: Inexperienced artists, more vulnerable to harassment 2:14

“We know that there is sexual harassment when a person is in a relationship or shows affection that is not expected by the other person or is not approved by the other person,” Enrique S. Pumar, a sociologist at the University of Santa, explains to CNN. Clear.

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Sexual harassment includes many things and can be some of these behaviors, according to UN Women:

Verbal:

a hiss, referring to an adult as a "baby" or "girl," making sexual comments about another person's body, telling sexual jokes or stories, spreading lies or rumors about a person's sex life, repeatedly asking out to a person who is not interested, among other things.

Non-verbal:

looking a person up and down, staring at someone, blocking a person's path, displaying sexually suggestive images, making sexual gestures, giving personal gifts, among other things.

Physical:

touching the clothing, hair or body of another person, standing near or brushing another person, hugging, kissing or caressing another person, among other behaviors unwanted by the recipient.

How do we know there is sexual harassment?

First of all, you always have to pay attention to the victim, ”says Pumar.

And he highlights that "it is important that there are mechanisms that allow investigating what happened, how it happened and in what context it happened."

Brittany Commisso details harassment complaint against Cuomo 4:55

How to act in a situation of harassment?

Dr. Angela Londoño-McConnell, psychologist and president of AK Counseling & Consulting, responded to CNN by email and advised “letting the harasser know that their advances, requests, words, touches, glances or insinuations are uncomfortable and should stop righ now".

In addition, it suggests that, if possible, if the situation occurs in a work environment, speak or send an email “to a person in authority or the human resources department of the company or institution and inform them with details of what happened ”.

According to UN Women, worldwide "6% of women report that they have been victims of sexual violence by someone other than their husband or partner."

But the organization believes that the figure is likely to be much higher, but that not many cases are known "considering the particular stigma associated with this form of violence."

Cuomo denies accusations of harassment in prosecutor's report 8:51

Why is it difficult for victims to dare to report?

In the case of the interviews with the complainants of Governor Cuomo "the most obvious reason is given and it is fear," explains Pumar.

“Fear has many components.

One part is that you don't believe them.

That is disastrous.

That other people do not believe them, do not have empathy or solidarity with those people ”.

"There is also the more practical fear, of losing a job, of violating an authority, of appearing in public as a person who is unhappy, who has bad intentions," adds Pumar.

"If one is a victim of harassment and apart from being characterized as having bad intentions or intention to harm another person, it is like being a double victim."

"Some of the obstacles for a victim of this kind of harassment to report it can be fear, shame and not wanting friends and family to know what is happening," agrees Dr. Angela Londoño-McConnell.

And he adds: “Also concerns about confidentiality and fear of not being believed.

Furthermore, they may also fear reprisals from the harasser ”.

Pumar says that what happened with the accusations against Cuomo can help the victims of harassment in other cases to be encouraged to report: "It can help because an investigation was carried out. This should give all the victims confidence."

The harassment figures

One hundred and forty countries have laws on sexual harassment in the workplace, says a UN report.

"However, even when laws exist, this does not mean that they always comply with international standards and recommendations, or that laws are implemented and enforced."

The same report highlights that "one in 10 women in the European Union reports having experienced cyberbullying since the age of 15".

These situations included "receiving unwanted or offensive sexually explicit emails or SMS messages, or offensive and / or inappropriate advances on social networking sites."

Duchess of Sussex is accused of workplace harassment 0:57

Another fact that the UN highlights is that in five regions of the world, “82% of women parliamentarians reported having experienced some form of psychological violence while fulfilling their mandates”, including “comments, gestures and images of a sexual, sexist or sexual nature. humiliating, threats and harassment ”.

How to help a victim of bullying?

“At first glance, the answer would be that we all have an obligation to report this type of situation.

But since reporting has consequences, it is important that the person reporting it has the consent of the victims, ”says Pumar.

In this sense, it highlights the importance of establishing a bond of trust with the person who we consider to be the victim of harassment.

“We must express solidarity with that person.

Tell him: 'I'm seeing this, and I don't like it,' ”says the specialist.

"So that person can feel more confident about himself."

Mariana Seoane talks about sexual harassment in the industry 1:42

Dr. Londoño-McConnell also recommends “talking to the person and informing them that you think they are being sexually harassed”.

In addition, it suggests that “if the institution has a current anti-bullying policy, it can also be given that information if it is not aware of this.

Pumar thinks that education contributes to preventing harassment, in the case of public figures and others not so famous, who come from a very well structured home and with a lot of love, "it shows that this is something that occurs in all situations" .

  • The Key Findings of Governor Andrew Cuomo's Sexual Harassment Report and What's Next

On the importance of the different institutions offering courses and workshops to prevent harassment, Pumar considered that they are useful tools to prevent between people "of the same employment status".

"I do not believe that a governor or the president of a company attends these courses," he clarified.

For its part, Barrancos emphasizes that "the greatest tool is that there is a fundamental state of prevention in all the institutions where women work. Private and public."

"There must be information and protocols for action," emphasizes Barrancos.

Relevant terminology

The EEOC produced a glossary with relevant terminology when discussing sexual harassment situations.

One of those terms is sexism.

The EEOC defines it as "an attitude of a person of one sex that shows that he or she considers him or her to be superior to a person of the other sex."

The UN body also speaks of "subtle sexual harassment", which highlights that although "it is not a legal term", it is an unwanted behavior "of a sexual nature that, if allowed to continue" could create an environment of hostile work.

David Villa responds to accusations of sexual harassment 1:22

The EEOC defines a hostile work environment as “a work environment created by sexual behavior or behavior directed at an employee due to the sex of that employee that is offensive, hostile and / or intimidating and that negatively affects that person's ability to do his job".

(DR: not all hostile environments derive from situations related to sex).

On the other hand, “quid pro quo” harassment is when access to or permanence in a job is based on “the acceptance or rejection by that employee of 'unwanted sexual behavior'.

How to ask for help or how to help a victim

The UN highlights that sexual harassment can occur “between people of the same or opposite sex.

Both men and women can be victims or criminals ”.

These are some of the ways to ask for help in case of sexual harassment in the United States and some Latin American countries:

In U.S.A.

The National Sexual Assault Hotline at 800-656-HOPE (4673) or visit online.rainn.org for confidential online chat support.

End Rape on Campus (EROC) offers free help to sexual assault survivors on college campuses.

1-424-777-EROC (3762).

The National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC) is an information center, with numerous publications on the subject.

In Argentina

The Ministry of Women, Gender and Diversity has Line 144. There, assistance, advice and containment for situations of gender-based violence are provided, 24 hours a day, free of charge and throughout the country.

In Mexico

You can file a complaint with the Public Ministry or the Special Prosecutor for Crimes of Violence against Women (FEVIMTRA).

You can also get advice from the Federal Labor Defense Attorney's Office (PROFEDET) 51-34-98-00 or the INMUJERES phone line "Life without violence" 01-800-911-25-11.

In colombia

You can report verbally or in writing, in the first instance at the Centers for Comprehensive Attention to Victims of Sexual Crimes of the Prosecutor's Office, which are open from Monday to Friday from 8 am to 12 pm and from 1 pm to 5 pm, or in the Units of Immediate Reaction (URI) of the Prosecutor's Office, which provide their service throughout the country 24 hours a day.

In uruguay

The Ministry of Labor and Social Security - General Inspectorate of Labor and Social Security processes complaints of moral harassment at work, sexual harassment at work, discrimination at work in any of its forms, violation of freedom of association, labor exploitation and human trafficking for the purposes of labor exploitation, and any other form of violence at work.

You are not alone.

You're not alone.

Ask for help.

sexual harassment

Source: cnnespanol

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